


East Meets West

by TomAyto10



Series: Indulgence, really.... [3]
Category: Hajime no Ippo | Fighting Spirit
Genre: Angst, Boys Kissing, Canon - Manga, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Character Study, Confessions, Confusion, Drabbles, Fanon, Fighting, Fluff, Gen, Headcanon, Kissing, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Masturbation, Non-Linear Narrative, Pining, Rivals to Lovers, Sexual Content, coming together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:51:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomAyto10/pseuds/TomAyto10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>East meets West in a flurry of punches, two cosmic impossiblities, so similar and yet not at all, clashing like confined hurricanes, like desperate beast locked in a cage that is the ring.</p>
<p>100 drabbles on Ippo Makunochi & Sendo Takeshi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	East Meets West

East Meets West

 

I.

Scales flash in the sun, as the fish twists its body sharply, whipping water into his face and Ippo bites back a scream. 

Mother smiles, ruffling his hair, and father claps his shoulder, a little hard as is usual, and laughs.

Ippo squints at the fish as it flips and flops on the line. He feels a confusion of pride and pity for the thing, and his sudden guilt makes him drop the line back into the water and with it, the fish. 

The fish line goes slack and when Ippo lifts it again, his catch has disappeared.

Ippo bites his lip, as he looks up at his father, ready with his words of apology.

But his dad is beaming, and Ippo blinks his eyes.

“See! I told you my son was a fisherman through an’ through! Caught a fish on his first try!”

Mom laughs, and dad claps him again, this time hard enough that he almost tumbles into the ocean.

 

II.

He doesn't remember it much. At that moment, he had gone blind with anger and clenched his fist tight. The next second, he was looking over the sniveling would-be thief, and felt a rush of tingles spasm down his spine to the ache in his fist. He could feel each and everyone of his throbbing knuckles.

“Takeshi.” There is steel in his father's tone.

“He was tryin’ to steal, Dad! He took a candy!”

Dad shakes his head and he crouches down to his eye level and it somehow makes him bigger, the broad of his shoulders makes shadows over Takeshi’s thin weak ones, and his hands, large and rough, clasp over his shoulder.

“You protecting the store is great Takeshi, but next tell me or your grandma. No need to be getting violent ya hear me?”

“I hear you, Dad.”

“Good. Now you're gonna say you're sorry.”

Takeshi bites back his protests, and then turns to face the thief.

“Sorry.” Takeshi says, to the tear streaked bruised face of his neighbor, but all he can think about is that the other boy would never try and steal again.

 

III.

The boat is the coolest place Ippo has ever seen. It seems so strong, the way it glides on the waters like a feather in the wind. 

Ippo loves being on the boat. He runs from stern to bow, yelping and jumping. Every direction he looks all he can see is blue, blue, blue. From the endless horizon to the abyssal water beneath, but the boat feels safe, even as it rocks back and forth, dips up and down in the turning waves.

The world is large, too large for a five year old to comprehend but the small area of the boat, he can know, learn every nook and cranny of the ship and then the world won't seem so large.

Ippo plans to do just that.

 

VI.

The house sometimes smells of smoke.

It’s only when dad comes home after a long shift, smiling even though his eyes are tired, and lets Takeshi climb all over him. 

The smell lingers, hanging in the air, long after dad has gone back to work, there when Takeshi goes to bed, when he wakes in the morning, and at dinner when his grandmother watches a cheesy variety show on the television. 

Even though dad isn’t there, the smoke stays and makes him think of him.

Takeshi finds comfort in smoke.

  
  


V.

The sound of the door rattling under  hard panicked fists scares ippo from his almost sleep, and he hears his mother open the door to the howling winds. 

Ippo can’t hear what they are saying, but he sees his dad’s friend’s mouth moving, rain beating down on him, and streaming from his eyes. THey almost look like tears from his red wide eyes.

His mother’s shoulders drop, and then start shaking.

‘She’s cold.” ippo thinks and stands up with the blanket draped over his own shoulders, ready to give to her.

He’s a step away, the winds are sweeping into the front room, striking him to the cold, and sprinkling the room with sharp raindrops. 

Mother turns to him, her mouth open as if she’s screaming silently. 

Or maybe she is screaming and Ippo can't hear her over the rainstorm.

Mother drops down to him and hugs him tight, wetting his shoulder.

Ippo doesn't understand, so he clings back and thinks about his dad's promise.

The promise of his return.

That's all Ippo can hear.

 

VI.

There are people everywhere.

In the halls, slumped in chairs and crying. Everyone seems to be crying.

Gramma’s hand is as tough as leather, and grips him hard enough that Takeshi feels his hand aching.

He knows something bad happened,

Dad’s friends are in the hallway, they seem to be guarding a door but they part when he and Gramma come through. They are covered in soot, except for tear streaks that cut their faces, pain and guilt in their expressions.

Someone opens the door, and Takeshi looks in.

It’s dark but he knows.

The room smells of smoke, but this time, it brings no comfort.

 

VII.

The hat is heavy in his hands, dripping sea water as he walks home. He grips it hard, fingers trembling and nails digging into the worn cloth.

The night is as pitch black as the the ocean he had dived into, the ringing sound of his father’s voice leading him to where the cap floated in the current.

The light is on in his house, and he remembers that mom is mad at him, and he grabs onto the hat harder.

The hat is heavy in his hands, but as he steps into the light spilling from the front door, he feels lighter than he has since that very day.

Dad has returned, just like he had promised.

  
  


VIII.

His feet knees hurt from kneeling, his mouth feels nasty from having his mouth closed all day, and he’s hungry.

Gramma brings him some of the food visitors have gifted them, and he devours his whole plate in an instant. 

He yawns and leans away from the table. gramma is looking at him, and he blinks under her gaze.

The silence drags on for a moment. Then:

“imma gonna do it.” he says to her, shoulders straight and back stiff. He puffs out his chest, and clenches his fists tight on his lap..

“Do what, Takeshi?”

Takeshi looks at her straight in the eye, “Imma gonna protect everyone. Just like dad.”

Gramma smiles.

“I know you will, Takeshi. I know.”

 

IX.

They are too pretty, eyes too big and they almost sparkle.

Ippo is scared of them. 

For some reason, they seem too strange and different.

Sometimes they are mean to him.

They gather in group in the classrooms and giggle when he passes by. They ignore him when he stutters over his words when he tries talks to them, and they always join in the chant of ‘ _ ~~Ippo smells like worms, Ippo smells like worms~~ _ ’

Ippo doesn’t think he’ll ever understand girls.

 

X.

It’s soft, and quick and warm.

Takeshi’s eyes go as wide as they can possibly go, and he crosses them so that he can look at the girl in his face. 

She’s red, and squeaking and Takeshi frowns.

“Wha’ was that fer?”

Her lashes flutter, and she leans away. 

“A kiss, stupid.”

Takeshi glares at her, “‘m not stupid!” he crosses his arms, and rocks back on his heels, “A kiss, huh?”

She’s still blushing, and she nods. “Only ‘cause they dared me ta, s’not ‘cause I like ya.”

Takeshi grins, “Good, cause I don’t like ya either.” Her face shifts, turns redder and he keeps on, “ and no more kisses. You feel like an octopus.”

and then he laughs at her red squid face and the bruises on his cheek are well worth it.

 

XI.

He feels that first punch when he curls up in bed that night.

It was unexpected, a quick swing to his gut that had him doubling over, from pain flaring and from shock because who hit him was someone he thought he could be friends with.

The sting, the ache, it hits him to the bone, leaves bruises on his heart.

He curls up tighter, winces as tears fill his eyes.

Today was bad, the pain lingers.

Ippo hopes tomorrow will be better. 

 

XII.

He feels today’s first punch when he curls up in bed that night.

It was unexpected, the 5th grade kid were mouthing off a little too much, raising a fist at his friends, and in Takeshi’s mind, to raise a fist meant that one was going to use it.

He pulls back his hand and then shoots it forward right into the kid’s gut. He doubles over, spits from the force, gasps out what seems to be all the breath in his body, before falling to the ground, shock and pain on his ugly face..

His knuckles ache, feel raw and hot, the same way they felt so long ago, when he rapped them against the face of the boy he is now protecting.

Someone grabs at his arm, someone punches in his side and there is an impact on his cheek.

Takeshi tastes blood and yells out a war cry.

After all is said and done, and he walks home, body bruised and lip cut, a failure and a disgrace, he has lost tremendously. 

He feels tears in his eyes, and hates everything, the bullies, his pain, but most of all how weak he really is.

Today was a bad day.

Takeshi spots his baseball bat in the corner of the room as he blinks away tears.

Yes, today was a bad day.

He’s going to make sure tomorrow will be better.

 

XIII.

Dad always laughed, so loud and wild, that  it filled a room right up and made people jump in surprise. His whole face used to light up, and he shined like a second sun. Even in the midst of storms, his dad’s friends would say, he would sometimes break out in laughter, yelling and yelping in the hurricane winds and rain. If Makunouchi was laughing, they knew everything was going to be alright. It brought them peace, they said, brought them comfort. If someone as strong as Makunouchi-san was on their side, could laugh in the face of danger, unbridled and full, they could stand behind him and do the same.

And so when Ippo stands on the stern of his boat and hears the howls of the wind and the slapping waters of a coming storm, Ippo swears he can hear his father laugh.

 

XIV

Dad was famous. 

No matter where they went in town, someone was always talking to him, slapping him on the back or thanking him. Takeshi used to get so annoyed by all the pats on his head, or cheek pinching. He was not a dog, dangit.

But, he would admit, the free treats and sodas were always good. 

He liked that dad was famous, that whenever he was with him, everyone paid attention to him, to them.

Dad is gone now, but Takeshi still gets the attention.

It’s pity, sometimes anger, other times disappointment, glaring eyes, and sometimes shooting fists. 

Takeshi is addicted to the attention, but no matter how hard he tries, it’s never the same that his father got.

So, Takeshi keeps working at it.

That’s all he can do. 

 

XV

The cat winds itself around his leg, and Ippo smiles.

He thinks that they’re cute, thinks that they have soft bellies and cute noses. He's always wanted a dog, but cats are nice too. Maybe, one day, he’ll have a pet, maybe he’ll ask for one when he goes to junior high this next year.

The cats always find him, sitting on a hill, or atop the anchors on the harbour, when he is most lonely. Mom says it’s because of how he smells, like fresh seawater, earthy soil and caught fish. 

Ippo is glad to know that someone at least likes that part of him. 

Ippo runs his hand along the purring spine, and smiles.

 

XVI

The cat has been following him for years,  but now it sit on his Gramma’s lap most of the time.

Takeshi hisses at it and the cat almost seems to roll her eyes.

“Oi, i practically raised ya, ya stupid cat.”

the cat continues to ignore him,

“oi! I'm talking to ya!

The cat licks her paw and flickes her tail, both obvious signs of not being impressed. 

Takeshi is not going to take that.

When Gramma comes back and finds takeshi on his hand and knees in a hissing contest with her Torah-chan, she chooses not to say a word.

  
  


XVII

“How many?”

“Sendo-san, its too many this time! You can’t!”

“I asked how many! Jus’ answer the goddamn question!”

Nariou pauses in his step but then he shakes his head.

“It’s fifteen of ‘em at least, meybe more.”

Takeshi grins.

“Ya ain’t seriously gonna try and take em all, are ya?”

Takeshi only cracks a knuckle, shrugs his right shoulder and keeps his fast pace to the back of the school where the thugs from Sakura jr. high are waiting for him.

“Sendo-san! Are ya really? Ain’t you afraid?”

Takeshi looks out at the gate where the mass of blue uniforms has blocked the way.

No, there is no fear in him at all, only hunger, adrenaline and lust for a brawl.

 

XVIII

They are waiting for him at the gate.

The tallest one, Umezuma-san, grabs his collar and pulls him into a waiting fist.

ippo lets them, feels each hit heavier than the last, feels their laughs as heavy as the blows their landing. Pain flares bright and too much after each impact and without wanting too, his eyes start to feel wet.

he’s scared that Umezuma will see

so he hides his face.

After they leave him alone, Ippo shambles to his feet, wipes his face of the dirt and fist marks. 

He isn’t afraid of the beating, he isn’t scared of the pain.

The only thing he fears is that things will never change.

  
  


XIX

“As long as yer with us, we ain’t got nothin’ to worry ‘bout.”

Takeshi doesn’t look back at them, “Yea, ya got that right.”

“You’ll protect us!” they ring out, loud and victorious.

Takeshi stops in his path, and his three classmates smash comically into his back. 

He looks over his shoulder and grins.

“Yea. I’ll protect ya’ll.” He looks down at his fists, cut and bleeding from the fifteen punches to take take down fifteen deadbeats. 

“I’ll protect everyone.”

But somehow, it rings hollow.

Gramma doesn’t look up as he walks in, so he digs his hands deep in his pockets and slumps his shoulders.

“‘m home.” He says flatly, ready for her to scold him.

She just continues on petting the cat and the moment drags on. Then she sighs, as if the dropping a heavy burden

“Takeshi, what are you doing, you fool?”

takeshi frowns, his fist balling in his pockets, hidden from her sight.

“Protectin’ People. Jus’ like dad. Bein’ strong. Tha’s what i’m doin’”

She goes silent again, and then, her voice, thin and brittle as ice on a cold winter’s morning, cuts through the silence.

“You’re a fool if you think that’s what you dad was like.”

Takeshi looks away.

“That ain't what strength is.”

Takeshi grits his teeth and won’t look at her.

Then, he wants to ask, what the hell does it mean to be strong?

 

XX

The pain never really goes away, stays settled in his bones and nestles itself right near his heart. 

It hurts when he breathes, it hurts when he thinks, hurts even when he sleeps, nightmares that are actual memories plaguing his nights and robbing him of sleep, digging into the side of his mind with hateful thoughts.

Helpless, pathetic, pitiful, weak.

Weak.

So Weak.

Ippo stares up, and the lines of his ceiling begin to blur. Hot acid tears fall from his eyes and he closes them.

He is so weak, and he doesn’t want to be. he wants to be like his father, wants to face his fears with courage.

He wants to be strong.

But what, he thinks desperately, what does it mean to be strong? 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry the gay will come. I'm just very hard for Ippo/Sendo parallels. Excuse my headcannons, I'm just... drowning myself.
> 
> Talk shipping to me @DipuCXOXO


End file.
